January Transfer Window Thread

Cellar-Door

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Samir Nasri is trying to make a comeback on a free with West Ham, trained for a few months and signed yesterday, was an unused sub today.
 

Zososoxfan

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Announced several weeks ago, but effective only now I believe--Barca scooped up Colombian Jeison Murillo from Valencia to add to their CB depth in light of injuries to Umtiti and Vermaelen. He's likely a break glass in case of emergency type, but I could be wrong. Vermaelen's injury should have him available before the end of the month, but it would likely be prudent to get Murillo some time in the Copa to see if he can provide any real value.

Going the other way, I hope and think there is some possibility that Denis Suarez gets an outbound transfer. This guy is insanely skilled and deserves to play. Put him in the Prem or another La Liga club, and he will become a darling again.
 

67YAZ

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Announced several weeks ago, but effective only now I believe--Barca scooped up Colombian Jeison Murillo from Valencia to add to their CB depth in light of injuries to Umtiti and Vermaelen. He's likely a break glass in case of emergency type, but I could be wrong. Vermaelen's injury should have him available before the end of the month, but it would likely be prudent to get Murillo some time in the Copa to see if he can provide any real value.

Going the other way, I hope and think there is some possibility that Denis Suarez gets an outbound transfer. This guy is insanely skilled and deserves to play. Put him in the Prem or another La Liga club, and he will become a darling again.
Looks like your side also signed Rabiot to a pre-contract. A £9m signing-on bonus & £170k/week...if he fulfills his potential, that's a great deal. If, if, if...
 

Zososoxfan

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Looks like your side also signed Rabiot to a pre-contract. A £9m signing-on bonus & £170k/week...if he fulfills his potential, that's a great deal. If, if, if...
Wow, I hadn't seen that. A 23 year old comfortable playing multiple spots in a MF 3 with his skill is a tremendous bet. Getting him on a free transfer is just outstanding. I don't know if his future at Barca is at the pivot or in the Rakitic glue guy role, but I think he's a reasonable candidate for both. Very good business by Barca IMO.
 

67YAZ

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Wow, I hadn't seen that. A 23 year old comfortable playing multiple spots in a MF 3 with his skill is a tremendous bet. Getting him on a free transfer is just outstanding. I don't know if his future at Barca is at the pivot or in the Rakitic glue guy role, but I think he's a reasonable candidate for both. Very good business by Barca IMO.
Agreed, but what is it about the guy that so rubs managers the wrong way - at PSG & the French national team - that they leave him out despite the talent? The team that can get him to play up to his talent and not piss off his managers will be very happy. Is that Barca?
 

Cellar-Door

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Marko Arnautovic wants to go to China, initial bid of £35m rejected, second offer of £45 submitted West Ham will probably sell if it hits £50m could start a bit of a chain reaction as West Ham look to spend on a replacement and it trickles down
 

PedroSpecialK

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£45-50m for a soon-to-be 30 year old striker would be a no-brainer for West Ham, especially with Lanzini coming back. Even if a replacement isn't bought, Antonio back up front with Anderson, Lanzini, and Nasri behind him wouldn't be too shabby
 

Cellar-Door

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£45-50m for a soon-to-be 30 year old striker would be a no-brainer for West Ham, especially with Lanzini coming back. Even if a replacement isn't bought, Antonio back up front with Anderson, Lanzini, and Nasri behind him wouldn't be too shabby
Chicharito is probably back and would start. I think they'd like a younger striker to take over for Chicharito next season and compete now. A DM and a LB would be nice as well, with Sanchez out for the year Rice has no clear backup
 

Zososoxfan

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I heard that Malcom is rumored to go to Spurs. I don't think it makes sense for Spurs though. Malcom is an incredibly talented winger that has played some centrally, but he doesn't play much defense. Unless he's there to support Arry in a 4-4-2 up top, I don't think he'll put in the pressing shift that Poch wants at White Hart Wembley.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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Cardiff City record transfer Emiliano Sala was on board a 6 person private plane traveling from France that has disappeared and has now been missing for about 8 hours.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Awful. Confirmed by FC Nantes that he was on the plane as well, no news from the search but it obviously doesn't look good
 

OCST

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Three Everton rumors:

-Interested in Batshuayi from Chelsea, whose loan at Valencia has been a train wreck. Monaco supposedly also in on him. Meh. Would have been more excited before this spell at Valencia went so badly.

-Interested in Zenit St. Pete striker Dyzuba (sp?) who is having a good year there, scored 2x for Russia in the past WC, and has lots of CL/Europa experience. Also meh. Is 30, and I don't entirely trust players from this league - the top teams compete decently in Europe, but the league depth is terrible so lots of stats-padding for the best players.

-Getting serious interest from PSG for Idrissa Gana Gueye. Gueye absolutely excels at what used to be known as the Ngolo Kante role before Sarri moved Kante - DM cleaning up in front of the back line. Is among the league leaders in clearances and interceptions. Trouble is that he is not very good on the ball, is a low-accuracy and bad-judgment passer, and generally has no attacking game to speak of. Everton podcasters are fond of saying that Gueye does an excellent job of winning back the balls that he himself coughed up the minute before. Mixed feelings here. Everton look (more) terrible when he's not in the lineup, but his limitations are real. He is like several other Everton players- good enough that their absence will hurt the club, but not quite good enough to get the club to the next level. Since he's about to turn 30 and takes a ton of abuse, and PSG seems ready to pay, this might be the time to sell - his value is only going to go down.
 

Kliq

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I like Artem Dzyuba as a big striker off the bench. He's huge and has a lot of skill through the air. The best Russian players don't really leave Russia but I'd rather have him than Abnormally Large Andrew.
 

67YAZ

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Three Everton rumors:

-Getting serious interest from PSG for Idrissa Gana Gueye. Gueye absolutely excels at what used to be known as the Ngolo Kante role before Sarri moved Kante - DM cleaning up in front of the back line. Is among the league leaders in clearances and interceptions. Trouble is that he is not very good on the ball, is a low-accuracy and bad-judgment passer, and generally has no attacking game to speak of. Everton podcasters are fond of saying that Gueye does an excellent job of winning back the balls that he himself coughed up the minute before. Mixed feelings here. Everton look (more) terrible when he's not in the lineup, but his limitations are real. He is like several other Everton players- good enough that their absence will hurt the club, but not quite good enough to get the club to the next level. Since he's about to turn 30 and takes a ton of abuse, and PSG seems ready to pay, this might be the time to sell - his value is only going to go down.
In principle, yeah - bundle him off and reinvest the fee. In practice - if Silva really feels his job is on the line, then he's going to fight like hell to keep Gueye.
 

coremiller

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Selling high on Gueye is probably the right move, but if Everton do sell they need to have a replacement lined up if they want to challenge for the last Europa League spot. They could just sell him, punt on 7th place, and look to replace him next summer. But that would be declaring in January that your season is over.
 

OCST

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Selling high on Gueye is probably the right move, but if Everton do sell they need to have a replacement lined up if they want to challenge for the last Europa League spot. They could just sell him, punt on 7th place, and look to replace him next summer. But that would be declaring in January that your season is over.
I'm due for an update in the Everton thread, but yeah, this is the dilemma. Everton have both brought in a good crop of players this year and shown real quality when at their best -and demonstrated at the same time that they are painfully lacking in depth and in personnel at key positions, have many bad players on bad contracts, and most damningly, since Pickford's fuckup at the derby, have not shown good resolve - they can't take a punch.

The FA Cup is setting up that it could be a good draw. Everton have a winnable tie with Millwall, and many of the PL sides have either been knocked out or will knock each other out this round. Everton's best XI are capable of making a good cup run.

Beyond that - it's clear that cleaning up successive rapid rounds of managerial changes, from the end of the Moyes era through Martinez, Koeman, and Allardyce, plus the aging out of key players and the fizzling out of some younger ones, will take more than one transfer window. I'd be OK with not finishing seventh this year IF (big if) Brands continues with good transfer business (including ridding the dead wood) and Silva can steady things. The January window kind of sucks generally. Not much is available and what is, is overpriced. Last year Everton got Walcott and Tosun, both of whom started well but have now played themselves out of the starting lineup. I'd rather not go that route; I'd rather do it the right way in the summer now that there's no WC to shorten the window. But this year can't go down the tubes either. I like Silva and I desperately don't want to change managers again so quickly but he's got to right the ship in order to inspire confidence.

More later.
 

rguilmar

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Rumors are that Barcelona are finalizing a deal with Ajax for Frenkie de Jong. He’s a super talented kid, featuring both in midfield and defense. Perhaps he is the answer to the question of a long term replacement for Sergio.

Of course, just a rumor right now.
 

teddykgb

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There are only two youth players I’ve watched and been absolutely floored by and it’s Mbappe and DeJong. It’s tough to evaluate the Dutch league but that kid oozes class
 

67YAZ

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de Jong to Barca this summer for €75m plus another possible €11m in various clauses. An incredible windfall for Ajax, roughly double their previous record sale (Sanchez to Spurs in 2017). Ajax laid out some significant cash for established players last summer - Daley Blind, Dusan Tadic, Zakaria Labyad. I wonder if their plan is to have a more balanced squad moving forward, mixing youth and veterans, with youth sales covering the costs of the veterans. The bigger goal, of course, is more consistent success in Europe.
 
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Dummy Hoy

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I had read that de Jong had a playing time clause inserted into his contract...curious how that works.

Genuinely excited to see if Higuain can have success in the Premiership.
For sure. I know he’s got the choker rep, but he always impresses to me. I think his game could fit in well in England.
 

veritas

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Higuaín has declined pretty significantly the past couple of years. Maybe he’s a better fit for Sarri than Morata, but I don’t think he’s a better player at this point in their careers.
 

rguilmar

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Higuaín has declined pretty significantly the past couple of years. Maybe he’s a better fit for Sarri than Morata, but I don’t think he’s a better player at this point in their careers.
Agreed. The way I see it, Juve would not loan him to a team in Milan unless they saw him as pretty cooked. Especially the Rossoneri.

I do like what AC Milan are doing. Adding Piatek to replace Higuain is a solid move as he has 19 goals in 21 games (not as solid as Genoa buying him for a little over $4 million then selling him for almost ten times that amount just months later). They sit in 4th and desperately need to get back into the UCL and had already added Lucas Paqueta to the squad. Don’t know too much about him but a lot of people seem to like him, and he scored a great goal on Monday.
 

coremiller

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Also Higuain is 31; Morata is 26. Ditching your 60m prime-age striker for a 31-year-old loan signing is very strange business.
 

Zomp

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Morata has been terrible for Chelsea. He had the service and his confidence was shot. I agree with with shedding him. If Higuain doesn't work out then go for someone in the summer.
 

teddykgb

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I don’t watch much Serie A but afaic Higuain is pst it and I can’t imagine this working out for Chelsea. Morata was overhyped and not producing but I can’t imagine Higuain does much more than hold the place warm for whomever they bring in after selling Hazard
 

bosox4283

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Morata has been terrible for Chelsea. He had the service and his confidence was shot. I agree with with shedding him. If Higuain doesn't work out then go for someone in the summer.
What does "he had the service" mean, or is it a typo?
 

OCST

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Chelsea is a bizarre situation. Sarri is playing everyone out of position. They seem awkward. I don’t get the sense of the future they’re trying to build. I dint see Higuain taking the current lineup past where they are now.
 

wonderland

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Chelsea is a bizarre situation. Sarri is playing everyone out of position. They seem awkward. I don’t get the sense of the future they’re trying to build. I dint see Higuain taking the current lineup past where they are now.
Everyone? That’s a stretch. Kante is playing out of position regularly. They had to move Hazard to the false 9 because Morata was so poor and Giroud can only play so many minutes. Other than that guys are where they normally play. Bringing in higuain gives Sarri a guy he knows and has succes with. It might work or might not but it gives Chelsea a chance.
 
Apropos of nothing, Gonzalo Higuain will always have a special place in my heart, because I got to call these two great goals of his for Juventus against Milan back in October 2017 (with Lee Hendrie as my color man) - it's weird that he and Giroud, another striker of whom I'm very fond, now both play for Chelsea, of which I've never been very fond at all.


 

67YAZ

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I'm due for an update in the Everton thread, but yeah, this is the dilemma. Everton have both brought in a good crop of players this year and shown real quality when at their best -and demonstrated at the same time that they are painfully lacking in depth and in personnel at key positions, have many bad players on bad contracts, and most damningly, since Pickford's fuckup at the derby, have not shown good resolve - they can't take a punch.
Paredes to PSG. This probably moots their interest in Gueye, which I never quite understood anyway.
 

candylandriots

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They tried a couple of years ago to get him after the Euros, but Chelsea outbid and they got Benteke instead. Now they have both - Batshuayi o Crystal Palace, with him coming by loan (of course — Chelsea still own him).

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47081617

Disappointed that RLC isn’t coming back. I think Ruben is also disappointed given the differences in playing time.

Also in news that probably doesn’t matter to anyone but me, Palace also re-acquired Bakary Sako from West Brom a few days ago. The Baggies let him out of his deal and Palace can use the reinforcements, and everyone gets along, so it made sense for everyone.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/crystal-palace-transfer-news-bakary-sako-deal-done-confirmed-announced-a8748981.html
 

SoxFanInCali

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California. Duh.
I thought Cardiff was always planning on paying, but was waiting for a final report on the investigation of the crash. That makes me suspect insurance companies are involved.